


The Magic Trick

by LaeliaLenore



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-02
Updated: 2012-12-02
Packaged: 2017-11-20 03:59:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/581077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaeliaLenore/pseuds/LaeliaLenore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A short sketch in which teenager Erik Lensherr deals with the repercussions of the discovery of his powers, an event which lands his uncle Sebastian Shaw in the hospital.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Magic Trick

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired in part by Panic! At The Disco's _Camisado_.

            Erik was exhausted.  The cheap hospital chair he had been sitting in all night made even the idea of sleep impossible.  He had been up all night waiting for news.

            The sterile fluorescent lights began to flicker off of their own accord, the motion sensors having seen nothing move for some time now and leaving silence in the wake of their incessant buzzing.  He was alone in the waiting room and nobody had passed through for God knows how long.  The dimness was soothing to his throbbing headache while the light had been punishing.  He hoped nobody would come by for a while.

            He glanced out the window at the black sky lightening to a dark gray.  Overcast.  Good.  He probably couldn’t have dealt with the sun anyway.

            He tilted his head back against the wall and closed his eyes.  All he could see was the linoleum tiles that he had been studying for the past eight or so hours.  He wanted to sleep.  He wanted to sleep so badly but he couldn’t, uncomfortable chairs and harsh lighting aside.  He was too worried.

            Not about Shaw, of course.  The bastard deserved to die.  He was worried that the doctors wouldn’t believe him.

            But they wouldn’t believe the truth even if he told them.  The only alternative, his hasty lie, was flimsy at best.  It had too many loose ends.  He didn’t know if it was even possible to get bruises and breaks and end up in the I.C.U. like that from falling down a flight of stairs, but that’s what he told them.  He couldn’t think of anything else.

            What could be taking them so long?  It wasn’t like he needed surgery or anything.  What could they be doing?  Maybe he was still in intensive care.  Maybe he was still unconscious.  Maybe he died.  Maybe they just forgot about poor Sebastian Shaw’s no good, delinquent, orphaned nephew.  Maybe they just figured he just went home to bed like any sane person would.

            He had wanted to.  Several times he got fed up with his aching head and aching, itching eyes and aching body and those awful buzzing lights and this horrible, pathetic chair and those stupid linoleum tiles and those _looks_ from passing nurses and nearly just got up and left. But he couldn’t just leave.  What would he do with himself at home?  Would he be able to bring himself to come back tomorrow?  Wouldn’t leaving look suspicious if they doubted his story?  No, he had no choice but to stay.

            Suddenly there were brisk footsteps and the lights flashed back on, burning Erik’s eyes even through closed eyelids.  He slumped forward, rubbing them and cursing the idiot that moved and turned them back on.

            “Erik Lensherr?” asked a curt male voice.

            He looked up and through blurred, light-sensitive vision recognized the man as Shaw’s doctor.

            “Yeah?”  he asked, standing.

            “My apologizes.  We didn’t know you were planning to wait here for updates.  Doctor Shaw – I mean, your uncle has been moved out of Intensive Care.  He suffered a concussion, several cracked ribs and major bruising on the arms and torso.  He had a pretty nasty _fall_ –” Erik was careful to make no change in expression but understood the Doctor’s opinion on his lame story nonetheless “–but that’s to be expected after falling down a flight of stairs.  We performed several X-Rays, and currently have him on a morphine drip for pain.  We plan to keep him for a few days for observation and then he should be good to go.  He’s only just woken up and is asking to see you.”

            The doctor paused, seemingly waiting for Erik to agree with him about something.

            “Uh… alright.”

            “Follow me.”  He turned on his heel and headed off quickly down the hall.  After several minutes of walking, they reached an open door with a single lamp on.  Shaw himself was lying on the bed, heavily bandaged around the torso, several icepacks on his arms and chest – for swelling, Erik supposed – and the promised morphine drip was inserted into his left arm like a grotesque, enlarged external vein.

            “Erik.” He said looking up and beckoning weakly for Erik to knell at his bedside.  Erik did so, struggling to hide his wariness.  “A moment, Carl?”

            The man turned and left, closing the door behind him.  Shaw stared into Erik’s face for a moment, his expression hard and conveying nothing.

            “ _What did you tell them_?” he asked finally in German.

            “ _You fell down a flight of stairs_.” Erik said looking down at the edge of the mattress.

            “ _Idiot_!” Erik was smacked hard on the side of the head.  He saw stars as his head jerked to the side and felt the welt begin to surface.  “ _Oh well, it’ll have to do.  I’ll make it work.  And as for you.  I don’t know what that little_ magic trick _of yours was, but you’ll pay for it.  You wait and see.  You think you’re smart or something?  You think you’re real clever, don’t you?  You’re not.  You’re a freak.  I’ll deal with you when I get home.  And if it ever happens again, boy, if I ever see you doing that again, you’ll wish you were never born.  I promise you that.  Understand_? ”

            “ _Yes, Uncle_.”

            “ _Good.  Now go home.  Do your chores.  Get out of my sight._ ”

            “ _Yes, Uncle_.”  Erik stood and left quickly, head down and submissive as usual. But as he stood, he allowed himself a glance into Shaw’s face and he swore he saw fear.

            Shaw was afraid of him.

            He swiftly departed, barely able to contain his glee and practically skipping as he made his way down the hall away from Shaw’s room and towards the elevator.  Shaw was afraid of him.  He could hurt Shaw, kill him even, and they both knew it.  Watch Shaw try to teach him a lesson now.  The tables were turning and Erik had the upper hand.

            Or maybe things were only going to get much, much worse.


End file.
